


The Help

by Smidget



Category: Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer
Genre: Angst-y, Coercion, F/M, Fluff, Human AU, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-14 03:47:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14762018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smidget/pseuds/Smidget
Summary: Human AU. Within the span of a few months, Holly loses everything, and both her parents are either presumed dead or dying, leaving her alone to fend for herself. She's struggling until she finally manages to land a job that seems perfect - a live-in maid, in the one and only Fowl Manor. But she soon realizes she signed up for more than she bargained for. A/H!





	1. Chapter 1

Imposing. 

This was the first word that came to Holly’s mind as she approached the front gates of Fowl Manor. It was a grand and imposing structure, and one with a dark feel to it at that. A shiver ran down her spine as she took it in, and she chewed her lip nervously. The urge to turn tail and run was overwhelming. 

Yet she stayed put, reminding herself why she was there. She needed this job, desperately. Otherwise she’d end up out on the streets, not able to support herself, let alone her dying mother. After everything Coral Short had done for her and her homeland, she would think she ought to get a little more sympathy, aid, or at least something to show for it all - but no. She was dying of radiation, slowly, from a failed experiment, and now Holly was left to deal with it alone.

Not that there was much to deal with. She had not even a few weeks left to live at last diagnosis. But with her father missing in action, presumed dead, they’d been on their own for a while, meaning now that her mother was gone, it was truly all left to her. Most everything was gone, which Holly was honestly fine with - they hadn’t had much in the first place - but she was determined to keep her mother comfortable in her last few weeks, and that took money. She would need a job to support herself anyway. So here she was. 

The job she’d found at Fowl Manor seemed perfect - on paper at least. She would be a live-in maid, to help keep things running smoothly around the manor, and she’d be provided with most everything she needed to survive. Mrs. Fowl had also promised her through email that she would be allowed to go see her mother twice a week and on the weekends with no problem, and that she could leave on a moment’s notice if something came up so long as she told them first. It seemed agreeable enough; she knew she’d spent way too long moping by her mother’s bedside anyway. Coral was not happy to constantly see her daughter sitting, catatonic, beside her, in the rare moments she was full awake and not in too much pain to speak. 

Holly sighed, hitting the buzzer on the gate and waiting for the lock to disengage so she could go in. She swiped at her eyes as she approached the front door and pressed the bell, determined not to turn into a mess right before she met her new employers. She couldn’t afford to think too much about it, or she’d have a melt down again - something that had been happening more and more lately. On the inside, she knew she should go get help, but that would have to wait until her mother was gone, at least. She had to be strong until then. She couldn’t afford to be locked in the loony bin right now. 

The door opened in front of her, and Holly suddenly found herself face to face with probably the biggest man she'd ever seen. He was probably the size of a mountain, honestly - tall, bald, bulky, and overall intimidating. He looked down at her impassively. “Yes?”

Yikes. Even his voice was deep and bass. Holly gulped, fidgeting with the strap on her bag. “Um, hi. I’m Holly.” When this got no response, she quickly stumbled on. “I’m the new maid?” It came out sounding more like a question. 

Before the big man could answer, another voice cut in from behind him. “Must you be so imposing all the time, Butler? You’re scaring the poor dear. Let her in.” 

Butler’s only response was a slight frown, and he stepped aside to let her in, revealing the speaker. It was an older woman, clearly not young but not yet much older than perhaps her 40s. She was tall, thin, and elegant looking, even dressed in nothing but a long blue bathrobe as she currently was. She smiled at Holly as she stepped in. 

“Don’t mind him, dear. He was hired to scare people away, if you know what I mean.” She ran a hand through her still scraggly hair - obviously, she’d just come from the shower or the pool or something of the sort; either was possible, as it was still summer - and took her by the elbow. “I’m Mrs. Fowl, as I’m sure you’ve guessed. You’re Holly, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Holly smiled weakly back at her, glancing around. Butler had disappeared, which was a relief, but she founded herself flustered by something else entirely as she took in her surroundings. She suddenly hoped she wouldn’t be in charge of all of this. 

“Good. Right on time. I like that.” She steered her down a hallway. “Come, I’ll give you a tour. How’s your mother?”

Holly winced slightly at the reminder of her. “She’s...bad,” she murmured, hoping to shut it down at that. 

“I imagine so. It must be terrible for you. Losing both parents so quickly… I can’t even begin to imagine.” She sighed, shaking her head and glancing back at her. Noticing how pale and uncomfortable the girl looked, she suddenly dropped it. “Well, let’s see…”

Mrs. Fowl led her through the lower levels of the house, talking all the while. Holly tried to listen, but ended up tuning her out automatically most of the time as she tried to memorize her surroundings. The Manor was massive, and she could see herself getting lost all too easily. Something told her that was not something she wanted to happen - why, she wasn’t sure yet, but she’d been taught a long time ago not to ignore her gut instincts. They were usually right. 

“And here we have the dojo,” Mrs. Fowl continued, stopping suddenly enough to bring her back to reality. Holly blinked, looking up at the older woman as she came to a stop just inches away from her. Thankfully, she either didn’t notice Holly wasn’t paying attention or ignored it gracefully as she turned away and opened the dojo door. She stepped inside, holding it open for Holly to follow. 

Holly stepped in and glanced around, feeling her jaw go slightly slack. Suddenly she understood how Butler got to be quite so big. Their gym was massive, stocked with every type of equipment a person could dream of and probably even a few pieces that they couldn’t. There appeared to be everything from a section of normal training equipment one might find at a local gym, to a firing range, to a place to practice hand-to-hand combat. She glanced at Mrs. Fowl.

Mrs. Fowl chuckled softly at the look on her face. “Do you enjoy exercising, dear?” 

Holly nodded mutely. As the daughter of a high ranking cop, she’d been trained from the time she could walk on defending herself and much more, and had regularly went to the gym with her father in the early hours of the morning to spar and exercise. She hadn’t been since he disappeared, though. It was almost too painful. Even the thought made her cringe slightly inwardly.

“Well, you’re more than welcome to use it when you’re not working. You’ll be on a normal 9-to-5 schedule, so long as everything you’re in charge of gets done during that time. If you finish early, then the day is yours... with the exception of little tasks we may ask of you and circumstances that may come up, but that’s not for you to worry about now.” 

Holly nodded. “So what all am I supposed to be taking care of?” she asked.

But Mrs. Fowl was no longer listening, her eyes focused on something else. Holly realized she wasn’t listening and turned, her eyes following the older woman’s gaze to the lean figure that had just emerged from a door in the back of the room. It was a man, probably about Holly’s age or possibly a little older. He was tall and thin, pale but not sickly so, with dark, ebony hair, and, as Holly saw when he looked up and locked his chilling gaze to hers, with brilliant blue eyes. He was also not wearing anything but a towel.

Holly felt herself flush and looked away as he approached. Mrs. Fowl smiled and drew him into a hug, mindless of his barely clothed state. “Arty! There you are. I wondered where you’d gotten off to.” 

The male allowed her to draw him in for a moment, keeping a hold of the towel at his waist and embracing her with one arm. “Hello, Mother,” he murmured pleasantly before pulling back. His eyes never left Holly. “Who is this?”

“This is Holly. She’s the new maid I hired to help Butler and Juliet out around the Manor.” Mrs. Fowl smiled, patting her shoulder. “Holly, this is my eldest son, Artemis.”

Not wanting to be rude, Holly reluctantly lifted her eyes back to his. He smirked at her, almost vampirically, and a shiver ran down her spine. “Hi,” she whispered, unable to find her voice enough to raise it anymore. 

“Hello.” His eyes flicked up and down the length of her body once, making no effort to hide the fact he was checking her out. He let his gaze linger just long enough to make her flush before turning back to his mother. “How long will she be staying with us?”

Holly frowned when he blatantly ignored her despite her standing there, but knew better than to say anything. Mrs. Fowl just smiled. “As long as we can convince her to stay, I should think,” she said. “I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to get to know each other better.”

Artemis’s smirk didn't fade. “I certainly hope so,” he murmured, meeting her eyes for just long enough to make her flush again before turning and exiting the dojo.

Holly leaned heavily against the wall, exhaling deeply. She felt slightly weak at the knees. “Is he...always…?” she trailed off.

Mrs. Fowl gave her a knowing look, but didn't actually answer, gesturing for her to follow her out. Holly frowned slightly and took a steadying breath, straightening and following her. 

She lead her into the area of the manor where all the bedrooms were last, pointing out whose was what. “Artemis and the boys’ rooms are all in this wing, but different hallways. My husband and I’s is in the west wing. Butler’s rooms are also in this wing, since he is primarily Artemis’s bodyguard, but yours is a hallway over, with his sister’s. I'm sure you'll meet her eventually, but she's away currently.” She looked back at her. “I'll show you yours and that will be the end of the tour. Any questions?” 

Relieved to finally have an opportunity where the woman would hear her, Holly blurted, “How much of this am I actually in charge of?” 

Mrs. Fowl blinked. “Oh! Not that much, dear. Just the boys’, for the most part, and some general housework things.” She stopped in front of a door, unlocking it with a key and then handing it over to her. “It will vary, of course, and any specific tasks will be assigned to you as they come. But that’s for you to worry about later, as I said earlier.” She pushed open the door. “Anything else, before I leave you to get settled in?”

Holly thought about it. There was a multitude of things she was wondering about, but nothing that she deemed it appropriate to ask her boss on the first day. “No,” she said at last. “I think I’ll be fine. Thank you, Mrs. Fowl. For… everything.” 

Mrs. Fowl smiled kindly at her. “Don’t worry about it, dear. Take today, get acquainted with things, and make yourself at home. I expect Butler will fill you in on the full extent of your duties by tomorrow.” Then she left. 

Holly watched the door closed behind her, then fell heavily against the wall, taking a deep breath. She could tell this was going to be an… interesting job, at best, and a dangerous one at worst. Something about this place put her senses on high alert, but she wasn’t sure why yet. Something told her she was going to find out, and she wasn’t going to like it when she did. 

Sighing, she tossed her bag - one duffel bag of belongings was all she had left at this point - down at the foot of the bed and flopped down. This was all to be worried about in the morning. Now, she needed to rest. She had a full day of work ahead of her tomorrow, after all. 

She laid down, pulled the covers up to her chin, and was asleep almost immediately.


	2. Chapter 2

Holly woke up a few hours later. She yawned and stretched, sitting up. Her eyes hunted around until she found a clock on her nightstand. She’d arrived around midday, and it was only around three in the afternoon now. She still had plenty of the day left to squander. 

She climbed out of bed and stretched again, fully this time, then sighed and glanced around. She only had one meager duffel of belongings, so there wasn’t really much for her to unpack. She did so quickly, putting her clothes in the dresser on the wall (which all fit in two drawers out of six) and took her toiletries in the bathroom. The only material items she’d brought with her that weren’t clothes or hygiene products was her phone, its charger, and a handful of family pictures. She plugged the charger into the wall, hooked her phone to it, and put the photos in the drawer of the nightstand by the bed, then stopped and sighed, trying to decide what to do next. 

She decided she needed a shower before she did anything else, so she grabbed a set of clothes and went into the adjoining bathroom. It felt so odd to do so - everything around her was big and grand, and it was hard to wrap her mind around the fact that any of it was hers to use at all, even if she didn’t own it. It was just strange. Like the fact that she had her own bathroom. That would take some getting used to. 

Holly got in the shower and sighed, tilting her head back under the water and closing her eyes. This would all take some getting used to, honestly. It was nice, though, undeniably; much better than she’d expected it to be. 

Well, her conditions were, at least. The people on the other hand… she wasn’t sure how to feel about yet. Mrs. Fowl seemed like a sweetheart, although she had no doubt the older woman could bring the hammer down if she wanted to. Butler, she honestly couldn’t say much about - he’d been intimidating, yes, but he’d actually done nothing to her. He’d barely even got the chance to speak to her yet. She got the impression he was going to be a strict boss, but he didn’t seem mean, either. Mr. Fowl, she’d only spoken to via email so far, and it was impossible to pick up anything that way. Juliet nor the twins she hadn’t gotten to meet yet, so she couldn’t pass judgement on them either. 

And then there was Artemis. She felt her face heat up slightly at the thought of him. He was undeniably attractive; the problem was that he seemed to know it and had no problem with using it as a weapon or a tool to get what he wanted. Just from the few words they’d exchange she got the vibe he was going to be a jackass and probably do everything he could to make her job miserable - if he couldn’t get in her pants, anyway. She was determined for that not to happen, though. Attractive as he was, he had an undeniably dangerous vibe, even if he didn’t turn out to be an arse. Besides, getting involved with her bosses’ kid - who was by all rights her boss by extension - didn’t seem like a good idea.

Holly got out of the shower, pulling on a pair of jean shorts, a white tanktop, and a blouse. She threw her long red hair up into a bun without brushing it, slipped on her shoes, and then suddenly stopped. Where was she going? 

To make a map, she decided. She had a faint idea of where everything was from the front of the manor, thanks to Mrs. Fowl’s tour, but she didn’t trust herself not to get lost in the long run, and it would be much easier to take steps to prevent it now before she screwed up horribly because of it. She found a notepad of paper and a pencil in one of the stands and stepped out into the hallway. 

She glanced around her, leaning against the wall and starting to make a rough sketch of the halls around her. She started with her door at the bottom of the page, using straight lines to mark the hallways and little niches in them to mark the doors. She labeled each one she knew with tiny initials. 

She started with her hallway, then started wandering around, marking down things as she walked. Within a half hour, she’d managed to make a makeshift map of the floor she was on. 

Happy with her progress but deciding to do the maps by floors, she stopped by the stairs to label that floor and moved to flip the page when someone snatched the book out of her hands. 

Holly whirled around, dropping the pencil in surprise. Artemis stood behind her, fully dressed now in dress pants and a white button up, studying the map she’d made with narrowed eyes. His eyes flicked up from the drawing to her as she turned, and he quirked a brow. “What is this for?” he asked her, closing the notepad with a snap.

She flinched at the sound. “I… me. For me. So I can find my way around.”

Artemis frowned at her. “I was under the impression you’ve had a tour.”

“I-I did. I just… I was afraid I would get lost, and since I don’t have to officially start until tomorrow I thought I could just… take steps to prevent that now.” She stumbled over her words, feeling paralyzed by his cold blue eyes on her. 

He stared at her for a long moment, his gaze dark and unreadable. “Make sure this doesn’t leave the Manor,” he said at last, handing her back the notepad. Then the corners of his lips twitched up. “Although you know if you’re ever lost all you have to do is come to my room.” 

Holly took it, surprised, unsure how to respond to his sudden change in demeanor for a moment. “I do?”

Artemis chuckled, smirking slightly. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his slim chest. “Of course. As far as I’m concerned, you could make a full paycheck just staying in there with me.” 

“How-...oh,” she murmured, flushing deeply as his smirk grew. “N-no thanks,” she stammered. “I’m-”

“A beautiful, sweet, intelligent, soft prude?” He smirked again when she frowned slightly at the last word, pushing off the wall and approaching her. His hand found a stray wisp of hair that had escaped her bun, twirling it around his finger as he leaned closer to her. “Mm… who smells like strawberries and vanilla?” he added with amusement as he got close enough to smell her shampoo and perfume. 

Holly shuddered, closing her eyes. He wasn’t touching her, but he was close enough she could feel the heat radiating off of his body, and the slight tug against her scalp as he twirled her hair. “I’m not a prude,” she whispered in protest, unable find her voice to raise it anymore. 

“Really? The way you flushed the last time you saw me said otherwise,” he whispered teasingly, his nose brushing her against the top of her head.

“You were only wearing a towel!” Holly protested thinly, her cheeks aflame again as soon as he said it. She tried to push the mental image away. 

“Most girls my age would be thrilled to see me in a towel,” Artemis chuckled, his other hand finding her hip and pressing her back gently against the wall. 

Holly’s breath hitched slightly, feeling his own hot against her ear and his nose in her hair. The urge to lean into him, bizarrely, was immense, even though she barely knew him and certainly knew better than to do so. She steelled herself and pushed him back with great effort. “I am not most girls,” she told him. “And I certainly am not following the example of how girls your age would act.”

Artemis frowned slightly, pulling back and looking down at her. “How old do you think I am?” he demanded, sounding torn between amused and offended.

“Older than me,” Holly muttered, feeling like a petulant child. 

“Yes. Older than you. By a year.” He quirked a brow at her. “I’m only 20, Holly.”

Holly flushed deeply. She was 19, it was true, but… “It doesn’t matter,” she told him. “I’m not interested.”

Artemis chuckled darkly, leaning back down and putting his lips by her ear. “Mm…I’m so glad that I am a master at body language and can prove that you’re lying,” he whispered in her ear. “But… you may as well keep telling yourself that. You’re going to need to.” He pulled away, flashing a smirk over his shoulder at her before leaving. 

Holly watched him disappear around the corner, releasing a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. She wanted to feel irritated, but she couldn’t bring herself to. Not when he was right. She really did need to keep telling herself that. And she needed to keep reminding herself of what she’d said earlier if she had any hope of not ending up trapped in his room with him. 

Gathering her strength, she took a deep breath and set about the hallways again. She’d already decided not to map or explore more than she’d already been shown, and once she was able to work uninterrupted, she finished within another hour. 

She had stopped outside the kitchen to put the finishing touches on her map when Butler reappeared, stepping out suddenly. She jumped, and he frowned at her for a moment. She looked back at him with wide eyes. “Don’t linger outside doorways like that,” he told her in his deep tones. 

She nodded vigorously, straightening and closing her notebook. “Yes, sir. Sorry. I was just-”

“Do you have a phone?” he interrupted. Her mouth snapped shut, cutting off her fumbling excuses, and she nodded, showing it to him silently. He took it for a moment, starting to do something on it as Holly stared. It looked like toy in his massive hands. “Here. Now you have me on speed dial. Use it if you need to.” He handed it back to her.

She blinked up at him, surprised. “Oh. Thank you. Do you need my number?”

Butler paused, having barely started to turn to leave. He looked back at her, something like amusement hidden in his dark eyes for a moment. “No,” he answered, simply, and then disappeared back into the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

Holly blinked and frowned, staring at the closed door. “O...kay,” she muttered, taken aback. Sighing, she pocketed the notepad and went back to her bedroom. 

She opened her door and slipped inside, frowning slightly to herself. Was everyone in this manor that she’d have to deal with daily going to be either hostile or harassing? She sure hoped not.

She spun around and yelped, falling back against her door and clutching her chest as the answer stared at her from its perch her bed. 

Said answer came in the form of two five year old boys, sitting on her bed and staring at her with bright blue eyes. Well, two boys, one set of blue eyes on her. Only one of them had looked up when she entered. One, the younger looking of the two - although she knew they were twins - had looked up from the notepad they had been drawing in opposite sides of while they waited on her; the other hadn’t even appeared to register the sound of the door opening. They looked almost identical in their school uniforms, except for one crucial difference: one was blond, and the other had dark, ebony hair, just like his father and elder brother. 

It was the blond who had looked up, and she barely had an instant to register her surprise and restart her heart beating when he’d leapt up and was suddenly hugging her leg. “Myles! Look! She’s here!” he squealed.

The dark haired boy, Myles, blinked, his hand holding the pencil he was sketching with stopping as he looked up for the first time. “Beckett, you know they don’t like it when you hang on them,” he told him reprovingly, sounding so reminiscent of his brother that Holly frowned. 

Beckett looked up at her with wide eyes. “Do you mind, Miss Holly?”

Despite herself, she had to smile slightly. Yes, this was her answer all right - these were the twins, and she could just sense the months of endless harassment ahead over every little thing, but… “No, I don’t mind. You just scared me, that’s all.” 

“Yay!” The boy released her and stepped back, looking at her with wide blue eyes. “When did you get here? Where were you? How long are you staying with us?”

Holly tried to answer the flood of questions. “I got here this morning, around noon, I was making a map so I didn’t get lost, and… I don’t know, until your parents fire me?” She frowned slightly, tilting her head and looking down at him. 

“Yay! So you’ll be here for a long time!” Beckett hugged her again suddenly, and she patted his head, looking at Myles for an explanation. She could already tell he was going to be the calmer and probably more intelligent of the two - whether that was a good thing or a bad thing had yet to be seen. The quiet ones were the ones you needed to watch out for. 

“No one ever gets fired,” he explained, shrugging and turning back to his drawing. “Everyone always quits after a few days.”

“Juliet tells us all the time that we’re a handful,” Beckett piped in. “Mommy won’t admit it, but it’s our fault they quit so much. No one likes us.”

Holly frowned. “Well, I do,” she told him, and was surprised to realize she meant it. They were going to be a handful, certainly, but that just made her more determined to last. 

“Yay! Come play with us, Miss Holly!” He tugged her out of the room, and Holly stumbled into the hallway after him with Myles not far behind her. The thought struck her that she wasn’t supposed to be playing babysitter until tomorrow, but the boys didn’t seem to know that, and she didn’t have the heart to tell them. She’d accomplished everything she’d set out to do anyway - thankfully - so she simply let Beckett pull her down the hall to their playroom, and into the start of her new life.


	3. Chapter 3

She woke the next morning to the sound of her phone ringing. 

She groaned, her eyes fluttering as she reached for it blindly. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and put it to her ear. “Hello?”

“Is this Holly Short?” a cheerful sounding voice asked. “This is your mother’s doctor, about that medication we discussed….”

Holly sat up straighter and yawned. “Yeah…” She’d almost forgotten up to that point about the doctor that was supposed to be calling her. The last week since she’d gotten the job had passed in a whirlwind, and with the eventfulness and worries that had consumed her when she’d arrived yesterday, she hadn’t had much time to even think about her mother, other than when Mrs. Fowl had asked about her. 

A few heated minutes later, Holly had straightened around her mother’s current medication and given her permission for them to do an experimental trial to try to help her. She knew neither of her parents would have liked it, had either of them been able to say so, but she was desperate at this point. She’d lost too much lately. If there was any possibility of hope for her mother, she was going to try it. 

Guilt and pain panged in her chest so hard as she hung up that she doubled over on the bed, clutching her middle. Gods, it hurt so bad. But she couldn’t afford to think about it now. She didn’t have time nor energy to keep fighting off these attacks. 

She took a few deep breaths and straightened, wiping her eyes furiously. She wasn’t going to have another meltdown right now; she couldn’t. She glanced at the clock and sighed, rubbing her now-puffy eyes. It was five in the morning. The doctor must have just come on shift, and that was why she called now - which was perfectly in accordance with what Holly had told them about being able to call any time, but now left her wide awake and restless hours before everyone else in the house. 

She sighed, getting up. There was no getting back to sleep now. 

Her initial thought was to go get a shower and start getting herself ready for the day ahead, but she froze as she passed her window, entranced by the red glow peeking from below the edge of the curtain. Slowly, she walked over and pushed open the curtain. Her breath caught.

The red glow was slowly being pushed over the horizon with the beginning of the sunrise. Holly started at it, entranced, for a long moment, not moving even to draw a breath. Then, all at once, the urge to do something, anything, hit her, like it hadn’t since her father had disappeared. She tried desperately to swallow it down, but it rose in her chest until she couldn’t contain it, and suddenly she was moving, ripping off her nightclothes and throwing on a sweatshirt and a pair of shorts, throwing up her hair, and tearing outside. 

The first breath of fresh air was cold and crisp, filling her lungs so full, to the point of burning, like the first real breath after a long run. But the run hadn’t really begun yet, and suddenly she realized that was exactly what she needed to do. She glanced around. There didn’t seem to be anywhere marked out for running, but she was the only one out or awake right now and the urge was just too much. Surely running the perimeter couldn’t hurt anything, right? 

She glanced around again, then looked down at her feet. Apparently some part of her had known what she needed, because she’d thrown on her tennis shoes instead of her normal boots. She really had no reason not to, and the urge was getting stronger with every passing second.

Holly stood there for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. Then, before she could worry whether she would get in trouble for this, or about how long it had been since she had, or let the emotions the last thought brought rise into her chest, she simply turned and tore off towards the edge of the grounds. 

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Meanwhile, in the upper levels of the Manor, two other people were not only awake, but having a meeting. Mr. Fowl and his son were awake - although not very, in the boy’s case. Fowl Senior had to leave to attend a few meetings, and he was leaving Artemis in charge. But he had to be gone before the sun had rose completely, which was why they were having their meeting now.

As his father had requested, he was at his study at five am sharp. Fowl Senior unlocked the door with a click, and Artemis stumbled in. He had literally rolled out of bed and walked to his parents’ wing. 

Fowl Senior, who was already dressed and wide awake, glanced at his son, amused. “Don’t worry, son. I’ll keep this short.” He turned in his swivel chair, looking at him. “Now, I’ve had trips like this before, I know, and I’m certain you know what to do. But that’s not what I’m worried about.” He paused. “You have yet to find a healthy balance between work and family, Artemis. Don’t use my being gone as an excuse to stay holed up; use it as a reason to get out and spend time with the rest of the family.” He held up a hand when Artemis immediately opened his mouth to protest. “Socialize, son. Perhaps even help out a little. It wouldn’t kill you.”

“That’s what we have staff for,” Artemis blurted, frowning. “My job is to run the business, not the Manor.”

“No. That’s my job. Which is what you are to be filling into for the rest of the week. So step up and do it.” He crossed his arms. 

Artemis’s frown deepened, and he pressed his lips together, knowing better than to snap back. He did not wish to disrespect his father; especially in vain, as he knew the patriarch was right. “What would you have me do, then?” he asked at last. 

Fowl Senior sighed. “Just be around, Artemis. Join the family for meals. Perhaps play with your brothers some.” He stopped for a moment, smirking slightly. “Maybe even help out the new maid a little.”

Artemis blinked, looking at his father with surprise. The older Fowl had a distinct twinkle in his eye that usually meant he was planning something or he knew something his son didn’t know about - typically something he found amusing, but Artemis never liked it as much as his father seemed to. Besides, the mention of her startled him slightly. For one thing, they hardly ever discussed or were around the staff, minus the Butlers; but then, up until this point they’d made up most of the staff themselves. And second… how much did he know? 

If he was being honest with himself, he found Holly intriguing, in an odd way. It was exactly like he’d told her earlier; she was not like most girls his age, and he liked it. She was definitely flustered by him, but she was too strong willed to give into him easily. This didn’t bother him. He liked the challenge, and he liked playing the seemingly never-ending game of cat-and-mouse. It made winning all the more satisfying, and kept the process of getting there from turning tedious or boring. 

She just had this air about her that he couldn’t help but be drawn to. It was odd. Of course he’d been attracted to people before, and he’d had multiple partners, but this was different. She was… well, intriguing. He got the feeling that she had a lot more facets to her personality than what he had begun to comprehend, and that there was far more going on surrounding her than he knew. His father’s look only increased this suspicion. He was curious, and he knew he could easily dig and find out, but he had to wonder - did he really want to know?

“Holly…” Artemis started slowly, uncertain of what to say, but a movement from the corner of his eye distracted him. 

He turned, walking to his father’s study window and looking out. He started slightly in surprise. At first he’d ignored the movement, assuming it was Butler on his rounds, but it was moving too fast. An intruder? He looked closer. No. Of course not.

His father moved to his side and chuckled when he saw what his son was looking at. “Well, speak of the devil and she shall appear.” 

Artemis glanced at him, then back out the window. “Why is she running around outside at this hour?”

“Early morning runner?” Fowl Senior shrugged. “Your mother gave her the run of the manor and she has permission to go about it as she pleases, so… perhaps she’s just taking advantage of that. Getting the layout. Or just exercising. There’s no harm in that.”

“Yes, so long as Butler doesn’t shoot her on his rounds thinking she’s an intruder,” Artemis muttered. He found himself inexplicably irritated, but he wasn’t sure why. 

“Butler wouldn’t do that.” He paused, looking over at Artemis and putting his hand on his shoulder. “Look, I’m not an idiot, son. She’s attractive, certainly, and I wouldn’t dream of telling you to stay away from her. But I would encourage you to get some more facts about her before you do. You might be surprised what you find.” Pleasantly or unpleasantly, he thought to himself, then shook the thought away before continuing. “Just… don’t be cruel to her. She’s been through enough already.”

Artemis glanced at him in surprise. So he did know something he wasn’t telling him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Fowl Senior only smirked, clapping his son on the shoulder and stepping away to grab his coat. “Nothing particularly. Just think about it.” He slipped on the coat and left before Artemis could think of a response to that, leaving the boy staring out the window, wondering what to make of his words.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More heated Arty and Holly scenes, but not smut yet. It's coming. Promise. (In everything, really...)
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading and leaving kudos and comments! I appreciate you all. <3

Holly was returning to the Manor about this time. She was soaked in sweat by the time she had stumbled back inside, her lungs burning and her muscles aching as she climbed up the stairs back to her suite. 

Unfortunately for her, she had to walk through the main hallway on that floor, which was the one that Artemis’s room was in. The male was just returning from the meeting with his father and hadn’t yet made it back inside his room when she made it to the top of the stairs.

Artemis paused midway through unlocking his door at the sound of her approaching. Holly was taking out her hair, which was as soaked with sweat as every other inch of her currently, still panting slightly and not paying much attention until Artemis stepped in her path, looking amused. He’d seen her from the window, of course, but not nearly well enough to realize how soaked she was. He smirked slightly. “My, my…”

Holly’s eyes snapped to him suddenly, and she stopped dead a few feet away from him, tossing her sweaty hair back. “I…. what are you doing up?” she blurted. He was the last person she’d expected to run into this early. 

Artemis chuckled, pocketing his keys. “I reserve the right to be out and about in my Manor whenever I please, no explanation necessary,” he told her, seriously, but he was smirking. “What are you doing out and about this early?” He knew, of course, but he wanted to see whether she’d tell him or not. 

Holly flushed slightly. “I… couldn’t sleep. I was restless, so I went on a run.” 

Artemis crossed his arms. He could tell the first part wasn’t the whole truth, but he’d seen what she was doing for himself and knew she wasn’t lying to him completely, so he dropped it. “Mm… I thought we had discussed where to go when you needed something,” he murmured, stepping up and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “We could have found cleaner and much more fun way to get out all that energy.”

Holly looked at him, frowning slightly. She’d gone very still, not pulling away from his hand but not leaning into it either. “And I know I told you that I’m not doing that.”

He shrugged. “I refuse to be deterred. You haven’t been here long enough to really make that decision.” 

Her frown deepened. “Look, it’s not… it’s not entirely about you, okay?” she admitted hesitantly. “I just… getting involved with you… you’re my boss. It’s weird and just… wrong.”

Artemis chuckled, moving closer to her. She stepped back, instinctively, and then again, until she was backed against the railing to the stairs, her back arched slightly over it. He kept following her until she was trapped, cupping her cheek gently. “Come on, Holly. The things that we think are wrong are usually actually the greatest,” he told her softly. She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off by tightening his hand suddenly, fisting her hair and tugging her head to the side. Her breath hitched, and he leaned down, his mouth finding the soft skin of her neck and starting to brush down it lightly. Her skin tasted both salty and sweet from a mixture of sweat and the natural taste of her skin. She shuddered against him, clutching the railing hard enough for her knuckles to turn white. Her heart pounded against her ribs like a frightened rabbit’s; he was so close he could feel it. “Calm,” he soothed softly.

She shivered again at the sensation. Her fingers were starting to hurt from her tight grip on the railing, but she didn’t dare let go to push him away at this angle. “Artemis, I-I can’t,” she whispered. It sounded more like a plea than a denial. 

He sighed in frustration, straightening and releasing her hair. She blinked at him, surprised he’d relented so easily. Truthfully, after the talk with his father and at this hour no less, he was just too tired to push too hard. Besides, he was a jackass, but he wasn’t a rapist. “You can’t, or you won’t?” 

Holly took a steadying breath. It was much easier to think and resist when his mouth wasn’t on her skin. “Both,” she said firmly. 

Artemis stared at her for a long moment, impassive, then finally nodded. “Fine. Then I will respect that… for now.” He smirked at her, turning and going back to his door. “Are you certain I can’t interest you in showering with me?”

Holly flushed as the memory of him in a towel flashed through her head again. “I’ll pass,” she murmured.

He chuckled. “Alright. Suit yourself. I relent… for now.” With one last dangerous smirk, he disappeared into his room.

Holly didn’t wait to see if he’d change his mind. She took a deep, steadying breath, then quickly went back to her room to shower. Alone. 

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Her first day turned out to be relatively easy, after the excitement of the morning. All she was really in charge of was the boys, a few tasks Butler assigned to her in the morning, and whatever miscellaneous things the Fowls asked her to do during the day. It was easy, simple work, honestly, when she wasn’t being harassed. 

Much to her surprise, Artemis left her alone. She didn’t see him again all day except in passing until dinner, when he came down and joined the rest of the family. Apparently, she was the only one not surprised to see him. 

She was helping Butler set the table when he entered. Butler turned and started visibly at the sight of him. “Sir-”

“Yes, yes. I know. I came down willingly, it’s a miracle,” Artemis rolled his eyes, smiling dryly. 

Butler blinked, shooting Holly an indecipherable look. She’d looked up, but only briefly, finishing what she was doing. Artemis went and sat down at the table, completely ignoring both of them. Butler simply shook his head. He wasn’t going to comment, despite what he was thinking. 

Holly went back into the kitchen, and Butler followed a moment later. He hadn’t talked much other than giving her basic instructions about what to do, so she jumped slightly when he spoke. “He’s here because of you, you know.”

Holly blinked, looking over at him. “What?”

Butler looked at her seriously. “Artemis. I know his father had a talk with him about making appearances at meals more often, and he probably lectured him this morning for good measure before he left, but for him to come down early? This is about you.”

“About me?” Holly shook her head, returning to icing the dessert. “It’s just because I’m a novelty right now,” she said, more to herself than him. 

Butler raised an eyebrow. “I doubt that.”

“Why?” Holly looked at him. “Sure, he’s tried to flirt with me a few times since I got here, but… I’m nothing special, Butler, really. He’ll get bored of me soon enough.”

“Well, he’s already paid more attention to you in the past day than he does any other person in the manor in a week,” the manservant told her. “And that’s not even counting the staff, because he doesn’t converse with them except when necessary, really.”

“He talks to you,” Holly blurted, slightly startled by that. 

Butler smiled wryly. “To me, yes. But he doesn’t really get a choice. I’m his bodyguard, and I don’t tend to take no for an answer.”

Holly laughed. “I imagine not, big man.” She shook her head, finishing up with a flourish and pushing the plate towards him. 

“Cut it, if you please. I’m going to serve the actual meal.” He walked out. 

Holly sighed but nodded, turning back to the dessert and picking up a knife to cut it. Her mind spun, turning over what she’d said and her interactions with Artemis. When he returned, she looked up at him. “Maybe this is a little too personal to ask you about him, but… how often does he…” she stopped, unsure how to continue. There was no way to phrase it that seemed appropriate. 

Butler chuckled. “If you’re trying to ask me if he flirts with every girl he’s around that way, he does not. And he actually does not have partners that often. I will give you that they don’t tend to last long, but it’s more because of them than because of him.” He paused, looking down at her. “He isn’t a bad guy. That’s not to say that he’s not an ass, occasionally, and that he doesn’t have the same not-so-legal tendencies as his father, but-”

Holly started, setting the knife down. “Wait, what?”

Butler raised an eyebrow, his face impassive. “You don’t know?” 

“Know what?” Holly looked at him with slightly wide eyes.

Butler looked her over, searching her face for any hint that she was joking. How does one work for one of the biggest criminals in the country and not know? But she seemed clueless. “No one told you?”

“Told me what?” She turned completely towards him, feeling slightly alarmed. 

“Nothing. Just, with who your father was… I’d assumed you’d have already known.” He shook his head, shooting her what was supposed to be a reassuring smile. “But if you don’t, it’s probably for a reason, and it’s not my place to tell you. It’s not pertinent to you, anyway.”

Holly watched him suspiciously, not entirely believing him. However, just as it always did, the mention of people who had known her parents outside of work drew her attention, and she dropped his slip in favor of asking, “You knew my father?”

“Not personally, but he did have quite the reputation.” Of course, he had met Major Short a handful of times, but it was always on opposing sides, with him protecting the Fowls, and he wasn’t going to tell her that. “I was sorry to hear what happened to him,” he added, softer. That much, at least, was true. 

Holly looked down. “Yeah, he… just disappeared. I knew his line of work was dangerous, but… it still hurt. And still does.” She lifted her eyes back to him to find him watching her carefully. “I know it’s stupid, but… since they never found his body… sometimes I-I wonder…” She was careful not to say “hope”, but the expression on the manservant’s face said she may as well have. 

He sighed, turning back to the stove and wiping it down. “I know how that feels, Holly,” he told her gently. “My uncle was also a bodyguard for the Fowl family, and once upon a time he and his charge went into a situation they very nearly didn’t get out of. Fowl made it out, but my uncle disappeared. I had that hope for a while too. They hadn’t found any proof of anything, after all.”

Holly looked at him with wide, hopeful eyes. “What happened? Was he okay? Did they find him?”

“His body washed up off the coast. I was devastated,” he admitted, watching her flinch and feeling bad for it, but knowing someone had to try to get through to her. “I’m not saying it isn’t possible, Holly. It completely is, the same way it was possible for my uncle to have lived. They were both great men and, if luck is more on your father’s side than it was on my uncle’s, perhaps he’s still hanging on somewhere. But I don’t want to see you be as utterly devastated as I was if he does turn up.”

Holly nodded, looking down. She took a deep, steadying breath, then looked away, pushing the dessert back to him. “That’s done,” she whispered to cover how hoarse her voice sounded. 

Butler sighed, patting her shoulder and picking up the plate. “Anyway, the original point was… he’s not as bad as he acts like he is. Don’t pass judgement on him too fast. He might still surprise you yet. And don’t think that means I’m telling you to give into him, because frankly, if I were you, I wouldn’t. I just hate to see either of you pass on something that might be good for you based on a false pretense.” 

She looked up at him and nodded, offering him a weak smile. He squeezed her shoulder before disappearing out the door. She stared after him for a long minute, then sighed, turning to go back to her room. She had yet to eat anything for herself, and she still had a long night of wrangling ahead with the twins. That was not something she wanted to try to do on an empty stomach, or she probably wouldn’t eat all night. 

She headed up the stairs and went into her suite. Mrs. Fowl had purposefully made sure she’d gotten one with a kitchenette in it after Holly had told her she was a vegetarian, so she could prepare her own meals. She had just discovered a pack of cheese in the drawer and decided that grilled cheese sounded good when she heard a cold chuckle behind her. 

Holly straightened immediately, slamming the fridge door closed. The pack of cheese was still clutched in her hand as she whirled around to face the male leaning against her doorway. “What are you doing in here? How did you even get it in?”

“It’s my manor. I have keys to all the doors,” Artemis told her easily, straightening up and walking in. He glanced around. “This is… quite quaint.” 

“I like it just fine, thanks. Why are you up here? You were just at dinner.” Holly frowned slightly, careful to keep the counter between them as he approached. He smirked when he noticed her efforts. 

“Dinner is over. It’s just dessert, which I’m not obligated to stay for.” He leaned forward, placing one hand on the counter and making her realize for the first time that he had the other hidden behind his back. “Why are you scuttling around like a frightened rabbit? I told you earlier I would respect your space until you’ve had enough time to make an informed decision. I don’t expect one tonight.”

“I hadn’t realized you were waiting on another decision at all,” Holly told him, leaning back slightly even though he was still across the counter and nowhere near her. “I thought I was pretty clear when I said no.”

“Mm… clear as in what, exactly?” Artemis stood up straight, cocking his head. “I can’t say your diction was clear, as it was not - it was breathy and whispered. And your body reacted so positively considering I didn’t even actually touch you.” He smiled when she frowned, his eyes flashing. “I’m just waiting for your brain to catch up with the rest of you, and if it doesn’t get there within a few days, I’m perfectly willing and able to help you make the correct decision.”

Holly bit her lip, watching him nervously. He was nowhere near her still, but he managed to make her heart race with just the threat of it. “And if I don’t?” she whispered.

Artemis chuckled softly. “That, my dear, is not an option.” He smirked, removing his hand from behind his back suddenly enough to make her flinch, ridiculously. He just chuckled again, setting a piece of the dessert she’d so carefully prepared down in front of her - a large slice of chocolate cake. Her eyes widened slightly, and she looked at him, just quick enough to catch a flash of something softer behind the smirk before he’d masked it again. “Congratulations on making it through your first full day,” he told her. “Now, it’s time to see how long you really last.” He flashed her a dangerous smirk again before turning around, and just like that he was gone. 

Holly stared after him for a moment, only snapping out of it when the door to her suite clicked closed behind him. Then she blinked, straightening and looking down at the cake. She found herself surprised and a little flustered, both by the gesture and the way he’d acted. He wasn’t that much different than he was earlier, minus the whole being on top of her part. It was just… different, but not in a bad way.

She walked around the counter and took the cake, glancing out towards the door the man had disappeared through again. Maybe Butler was right. Perhaps there was something more to him that she just hadn’t seen yet - the part she’d come close to seeing a few minutes ago, that hint of something else flashing behind his suave demeanor. Perhaps she just had to dig a little deeper to see it. 

She took a bite of the chocolate cake and sat down, sighing around a mouthful. Maybe, just maybe, they were both right. Something this dangerous, this unpredictable, this… wrong... it just might be worth the risk. But that didn't mean she had to find out just yet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ding ding ding! We have a winner. First story to make it to smut. (I think? Of my main stories, anyway.) 
> 
> If it seems early, that's because it is. There's a reason for that. It's a process. Sort of.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

The next few days went by quickly. Holly dealt with several things regarding her mother over the phone, but never actually had the time to go and see her. Her first official day to do so was tonight. Butler had assured her that after she'd had a few days to get her bearings, things would get done a lot faster, and she'd have more free time. She certainly hoped so. 

Friday morning, she woke up and got dressed for her morning run, as had become customary. She hadn't ran into Artemis since the first day; she hadn't seen much of him at all, really, which was somewhat odd and also relieving. He'd been around, of course, but he'd just kind of left her alone. She wasn't too sure how to feel about it, honestly.

She went for her run, then went back to her room and showered and dressed, determined to make her day go by as quickly and productively as possible. She headed down early to help Butler cook. 

He looked surprised to see her but was already up himself. He started his rounds at around the same time she went on her run, as she's found out the other morning when he'd nearly killed her. He took no chances with his charges’ safety, apparently. 

He handed her plates and a list silently when she approached and took up her position at his shoulder, as they had the past few days. She glanced over it - her given her a shorter list today, knowing she was supposed to have the evening off - almost dismissing it until she suddenly saw the last item on it. She groaned slightly. “Seriously?”

“Don't go getting all moody teen on me,” he warned, not looking up from his cooking. “Someone has to do it.”

“I'm sure someone does have to clean Artemis’s suite, but does it have to be me?” She crossed her arms. “This feels like a trap.”

He shrugged. “It could very well be, but not on my part. All you have to do is tell him no.”

Holly frowned. “Easier said than done,” she muttered. Saying she wasn't going to give in to him was one thing, but doing it was another. It seemed so easy and logical until she was in his presence. The worst part was that she couldn't even blame it on him. Did he pressure her? Yes, undoubtedly. But he wouldn't force himself on her; he'd said so before. What scared her wasn't him; it was the fact that every time he got close to her she melted, and it seemed that no amount of logic or determination could help it.

Butler gave her a knowing look but said nothing. Holly sighed. There would be no convincing him otherwise, and honestly it was probably a good thing. She couldn't fight both of their raging hormones forever; there would have to be some kind of confrontation eventually, and the longer she pushed it off the more likely it would end badly for her.

She helped him finish breakfast silently, contemplating. Honestly the best thing to do seemed to be to not worry about it until she had to. It was the last thing on her list after all. Perhaps if she finished everything quick enough he'd be in the gym or something and not in his suite while she was cleaning it. 

She left after breakfast was completely done and set out to start her daily tasks. She got the twins up and dressed and sent to breakfast, then set about her chores. 

Thankfully, Butler had given her a short list and they were all easy tasks, and her only interruption was to drop the twins off to school and eventually stop for lunch - helping make it, anyway, as she didn't stop to eat herself. By 1 o’clock, the only thing she had left to do was clean Artemis’s suite. 

She sighed when she crossed the things off her list and realized it was all she had left, but she knew better than to put it off. If she ever wanted to see her mom, she'd have to do it eventually. Huffing, she went to his room. 

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, she approached his door and knocked a few short times. She released it when there was no answer, using a set of keys Butler had given her to get in. 

She went inside slowly, glancing around. Artemis’s room was very cool and impersonal; he had few pictures to see, and they were all of his family, with no real pictures of friends or even acquaintances to speak of. Everything was very neat and most everything appeared to be in its place. He had few clothes and dishes laying around, but that was it, for the most part. She sighed with relief. It was empty and his suite was barely out of order. Hopefully she could be in and out quickly, before he could return. 

She set to work, gathering up clothes and dishes and wiping down everything. She did the dishes and went to get the vacuum to sweep, relieved to be making such good progress. 

She almost managed to get completely finished before he returned, but not quite. She shut off the vacuum, having just finished his living area, and turned as his door closed behind him as he entered, stumbling right into him and sending scalding tea down the front of both of them.

Holly yelped and Artemis hissed, dropping the cup and shaking out his hands violently. She stared at him, aghast at what she had done. “Artemis, I'm so sorry!” she rushed out quickly.

He was still staring at himself in shock, just as surprised as she was. When she spoke, he seemed to return to earth, shaking his head and turning his gaze back to her. “I can't believe you did that,” he said at last, softly, raising his eyes to hers. 

She flinched and stepped back. “Me, neither,” she murmured. “I'm really sorry.”

“You will be.” He scoffed, running a hand through his damp hair. “You know, I had you sent up here to clean my room and so I could talk to you, not so that you could spill hot tea all over my nice clothes and me after I've just showered.”

“I know, I'm sorry-” Holly started again. 

“You should be. You will be,” he repeated, shaking his head. He glanced around quickly and sighed. “At least you've done a decent job of cleaning. Put the vacuum away and we’ll talk.” He picked up the cup and brushed past her.

Holly resisted the urge to groan, doing as he said. She didn't want to “talk” with him. There was no doubt in her mind what it would be about, and she didn't trust herself to react in a good way about it. But she couldn't really see how to stop it, either. She glanced at the door as she put the vacuum away, taking a step toward it. Maybe she could just-

“What are you doing?” He stepped out of the kitchen, dabbing his shirt with a towel. 

Holly jolted, turning on her heel and looking at him. “I'm-”

“Don't answer that,” he dismissed suddenly, waving his hand at her. “Just sit.” He pointed to the couch. Holly took a seat in the middle, and he sat beside her on one of the ends. “Now, let's talk.” He turned to her, still dabbing his shirt. “I gave you time to make an informed decision, did I not?”

“And I already told you my decision, didn't I?” She bit her lip, watching as he frowned and lowered the rag, giving her his full attention.

“I told you I wasn't going to let you make the wrong decision, now didn't I?” He set the rag down. “You told me your concern was with the fact I'm your boss. Well, I am your boss, and you're right to be concerned,” he told her bluntly. He leaned forward. “Frankly, Holly, you are under my control, and completely at my mercy, both sexually and otherwise. I'm not going to force myself on you, but if you think for a second I'm not going to use my power to my advantage, you're wrong.” He met her eyes, his gaze dark and serious.

Holly leaned back. “Artemis...that's still rape.”

“Hardly. I'm not going to touch you if you ask me not to, although I wholeheartedly believe we can come to an agreement that's pleasurable for both of us, not just me.” He raised an eyebrow, putting his hand on her knee. 

She closed her legs instinctively. “I think I'll pass.”

“You don't get that choice, darling.” He leaned forward again, tucking a lock of her thick hair behind her ear. “You're a domestic servant; my domestic servant. Meaning you have domestic duties. Some more domestic than others.” He tilted her head up, unable to keep his lips from curling into a smirk at the way her breath hitched at his touch. “Understand me?” 

Holly met his eyes and gulped. She did, but she didn't like it. “You can't make me.”

“I can't force you, legally, nor would I try. But if you resist, you'll find yourself out of a job very quickly.” His nose brushed hers gently. “I didn't want to play the boss card, Holly, but especially after you ruined a several thousand euro suit… you owe me, little one. For the suit, your defiance, making me wait…” he hissed through his teeth. “A whole list of things, really.” He leaned back slightly and tilted his head at her, reaching up and rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip. “Now, you can choose to submit to me freely and allow me to give you pleasure in return once you've paid your debts to me… or you can pay your debts and go on your way for today, servicing me like a good little servant when I tell you to… or you can refuse, and I'll let you go pack.” He quirked a brow at her.

She couldn't contain a shiver at the gentle touch. She felt a thrill of desire, fear, and something else she couldn't quite pin down run through her. “Artemis…” she stopped, licking her lips. “Don't make me do this. Please.”

“I'm not making you do anything. You have choices.”

“Heavily leveraged choices!” Holly threw back. 

“I never said they weren't.” He shrugged.

She looked away, chewing her lip. “I'm just… I’m not comfortable with this, Artemis. I've never done anything like this before, and-”

“This is hardly about your comfort, Holly,” Artemis interrupted. He traced the outline of her full lips with the tip of his thumb. “Although I'm perfectly willing to do whatever I can to make you comfortable, and to teach you and honor you like a sweet little goddess, but only if you'll let me.” 

Holly’s lips trembled softly and parted at his gentle touch. She looked utterly lost for what to say, and in truth, she was. Could she refuse? If she did, would he really fire her? Or would he just try to make her life miserable? And did she really even want to refuse? In just a few minutes and a few gentle caresses, he'd reduced her to a quivering mess. She'd decided earlier that it might be worth it to give him a chance, but now, like this… it was a controlling, jerky move, but then, should she have expected anything less? He was nothing more than an overgrown spoiled rich kid, after all. And he'd been perfectly clear about what he wanted from the beginning.

Artemis could sense her wavering. He forced himself not to react just yet, knowing she needed a hint more coaxing. “Come now, Holly. You know you need this job. Besides, I'm not asking for anything terrible. If I just wanted a warm body to fuck, I could have one in no time, but I don't. I want you. And I know you want me, or this conversation would have been over a long time ago.” He leaned closer again, nuzzling her cheek. “I want you, Holly,” he repeated softly. “I want to hold you and kiss you and taste you and I want to lay you down and blow your virgin mind. And I want you to enjoy it, and enjoy returning the favor the same way. But if that's what you want, you need to say yes right now, or pick to go pack.” 

Her breath hitched, and she swallowed thickly, leaning back. Did she really want to resist? She really couldn't afford to lose the job, granted, but… 

She stopped, taking a breath. There was only really one option from here, whether she liked it or not. She couldn't risk that it was a bluff by telling him no. “Did you have a task in mind to start?” she whispered, looking up at him.

He paused, his eyes searching her face for a moment to see if she was completely serious. When he decided she was, he leaned back and nodded. “Yes. You owe me, personally, to start. Come over here.” 

Trembling slightly, Holly moved closer to him. He turned completely to face her, leaning back. “You're going to get me out of these wet clothes and clean me up. Unbutton my shirt.”

Holly nodded, leaning towards him and starting to unbutton his shirt with trembling fingers. He caught her hands, meeting her eyes and sighing. “Calm,” he ordered softly. “I'm not going to hurt you. I won't even touch you if you don't ask me to. You're just going to strip the wet clothes off the top half of my body to start.” 

She nodded again, slowly, biting her lip. He released her hands, and she continued unbuttoning his shirt. When she finished, he sat up, shrugging it off and throwing it over the back of the couch. “Now,” he told her, softly, reaching out and taking her hand. “My pants are dry - lucky you,” he smiled wryly, “So you can leave them for now. Your next task is simple.” He tugged her closer, and she leaned in slowly, looking decidedly nervous. “I'd prefer not to be quite so sticky anymore. Lick me clean.”

“What?” She reared back. “I-no. That's…”

“What I told you to do? Yes.” He raised an eyebrow. “Or I do believe we have a long overdue shower date, if you'd rather take the second option.” 

Her mouth fell open slightly, and she blushed furiously. “N-no…” 

Artemis looked her over and sighed, sitting up. In truth, he was bluffing. He had to try, but he wasn't honestly going to force her to service him. Demeaning and wrong didn't begin to cover it. “Holly-”

She flinched and leaned back as he sat up, fumbling back. “O-okay. I’ll do it, I just…” She stopped, taking a breath.

Artemis leaned forward and reached for her hand again, attempting to tell her to calm down and that she didn't have to do it, but she leaned forward and licked up his chest suddenly in one long, smooth motion, and his breath caught in his throat, the words falling away before he could say them. She did it again, and he fell back against the couch, the hand that had been reaching for hers tangling into her thick hair. She didn't resist, letting him guide her closer and licking down his chest again and again. 

He didn't even register the fact that she was moving lower with barely any guidance until the button of his pants popped open. He glanced down and groaned at the sight of her with the button between her teeth. He knew he should say something to stop her, but…

“Holly…” His voice came out breathy and strained. 

She sat back, glancing at him briefly, her small hands already working at his waistband. “What? This is what you wanted, isn't it?”

“I-” he tried to say, but the words were lost as soon as her small hand wrapped around his length, pulling it free. He hissed through his teeth and tried again. “Holly… li-”

She wasn't listening, eyeing his cock nervously and chewing her lip. She was nervous, but more about the possibility of not pleasing him and being fired than anything else at the moment. She had no idea what she was doing, but she was going to try. 

His last words cut off in a hiss at the end of this determination, as it was at that point Holly took the tip of his cock into her mouth. She looked up at the sound, a slight whimper escaping her throat before she turned her attention away from him entirely, starting to suck. 

Artemis groaned, his hand tightening in her hair but not pushing. He should be pulling her off, but he couldn't bring himself to. She sucked harder, the tip of her tongue tickling his head, and he groaned, swearing violently. He looked down, watching her tight mouth move down his cock, and the sight was almost enough to do him in right then. He threw his head back, screwing his eyes shut and moaning.

Holly took this as a good sign. Glad she seemed to be pleasing him despite having no idea what she was doing, she closed her eyes and let the sound egg her on, taking as much in as she could before starting to stroke the rest of him and suck harder, letting her instincts guide her. 

Artemis, for his part, let her go, his hand fisted tightly in her hair but not pushing. He moaned incoherently, consciously forcing himself not to give her orders and let her go at her on pace. He bucked his hips shallowly into her mouth. “Holly-” he sounded strained, even to himself. “I'm going to come.”

Holly barely heard him, too focused on bringing him to that point by then and tuning him out almost automatically. She glanced up at his face, feeling her heart thunder at the sight of his face twisted in pleasure. The last thought she had was that she hoped it was in pleasure, and enough that he was satisfied with it, before he came in her mouth and she had to focus on swallowing it all and not choking.

She did, inevitably, choke slightly, and had to pull back and wipe her face. She replaced his cock in his pants and looked at him, biting her lip. It tasted odd, but not unpleasant, but she wasn't about to try to do anything about the taste in her mouth now. She fixed his pants and remained on her knees in front of him, watching him settle slowly. 

When his eyes finally opened and he looked down at her, still panting slightly, she whispered, “Was that satisfactory, sir?”

The emphasis on the word wasn't lost on him. He frowned, reaching down and taking her hands, pulling her back onto the couch with him. “Don't be like that, darling.” He leaned closer to her, nuzzling her hair. “That was plenty satisfactory, although you honestly didn't need to do it. My question now is…” he pulled back, looking her over. “How wet did it make you?”

She licked her lips, meeting his dark eyes. She wondered for a moment if she should play dumb, but it didn't seem like the best idea considering. “Wet,” she conceded softly, looking down.

Artemis tilted her chin up gently, leaning closer, so they were almost nose to nose again. “Would you like me to do something about that for you?” 

Holly bit her lip, flushing slightly. Her eyes flickered away. “I don't know. Are you going to use it against me if I do?” 

Artemis frowned slightly, startled. “What? No, silly girl. Of course not.” He stood up, holding out his hand to her. “Come on. Come to bed with me. Let me show you what pleasure feels like.” 

Holly bit her lip, eyeing his hand as though it were an animal willing to bite. In truth, despite what just happened, she wanted to. He'd been right, on some level; if she didn't want him as badly as he wanted her, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have pushed, and she definitely wouldn't have gave in. She hesitated, knowing she shouldn't, knowing that it could only lead to more, for better or worse, but after a moment’s contemplation, she reached out and took his hand anyway. 

Artemis smiled. “Good. Very good.” He pulled her closer, his hands resting on her hips. His blue eyes were brighter now, but still serious. “I'm not ordering you to bed me, Holly, and I wouldn't, the same way I wouldn't order you to show me any part of your delicious frame, as much as I desire it. But if you go to bed with me, I intend to see it, and have it - all of it - for my own. But only if you want to. If you don't want to, you can leave right now, and we’ll never speak of this again.” 

Holly bit her lip, looking up at him. His eyes searched her face, and hers his, both looking for any signs of deception in the other. Then she nodded, and he smiled again, brighter, straightening and tightening his grip on her. 

“If that's what you wish, Holly, then kiss me,” Artemis told her, looking down at her. 

And she did, leaning up and pressing her lips to his. She still had no idea what she was doing, but he made up for it, taking control almost immediately. He lifted her by the hips, carrying her into the bedroom slowly as he kissed her deeply, his tongue sliding between her lips and hunting out hers, dominating it easily. He kicked the bedroom door closed behind them, never breaking the kiss, and eased her onto the edge of the bed. 

He broke the kiss after a long minute. Both of them were gasping and panting, desperate for air. Holly closed her eyes and sucked in air greedily, feeling like she was drowning in him. She barely registered him peeling off her shirt before his mouth was at her neck again, sucking and nipping down the tender skin as he removed her bra without slowing before urging her to lay down, his voice soft and urgent. 

She shuddered at the feeling of his lips on her skin. Even as the heat pooled between her legs, she wondered, briefly, if she'd ever really had a choice. Artemis hadn't forced himself on her, certainly, but she very much doubted that he hadn't been certain that she'd say yes before making his move. But then… did she care? It may have been unfairly set up and perhaps she'd been coerced, but she'd been considering it anyway, and the pleasure that tingled from her core through the rest of her being told her she had made a decision her body certainly favored.

Artemis’s mouth glided down her neck and found her breast, and she moaned as he wrapped his lips around her nipple and sucked gently. Her hands tangled in his hair, tugging and pushing down almost instinctively. He just chuckled, switching sides and suckling her other nipple as he twisted the button free on her pants and slid his fingers into the waistband. “Up,” he breathed, and she lifted her hips before she'd even considered it. He peeled off her pants and panties at once, leaving her completely bare under him.

He tossed them aside and straightened, looking down at her for a moment silently. She flushed under his scrutiny and squirmed. He smiled, leaning down and kissing her deeply. “You're beautiful, Holly,” he whispered against her mouth, then pulled back, moving back down her body. He trailed light, opened mouth kisses down her body until he reached her core. She instinctively tried to close her legs, but his hands were already there, grasping her inner thighs and pulling them wide again. She whimpered, her eyes fluttering closed, and he looked up and shushed her gently. “It's okay,” he promised, his voice rough but soothing. When she didn't respond, he squeezed her legs to get her attention. “Holly,” he coaxed. “Look at me.” 

Slowly, she opened her eyes, meeting his gaze and biting her lip. He smiled gently at her. “Look, Holly. Look where I am. You brought me here just as much as I did you. You've done well, and now you'll be rewarded for it. There will be one split second of pain in this for you, and then mind blowing pleasure. You want that, don't you?” She hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Good. Good girl. Now don't make me fight to give it to you. Wrap your legs around my head.” 

She closed her eyes and shifted, her long legs lifting over his shoulders and crossing, tightly around his head. He smiled. “Good girl,” he whispered again, leaning forward and giving her a gentle lick as a reward. When she moaned and bucked, he did it again, and again, starting to taste her gently. 

She moaned and bucked, her eyes cinched tightly closed. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before. Pleasure tingled throughout her body. She had little idea what he was doing, but she didn't care. All she knew was whatever it was was warm and wet but strong enough to manipulate her into feeling like bursting, which it took very little to make her do. Several minutes of gentle licks to warm her up to the feeling before he turned to her clit, teasing it until her legs trembled around his head and she came apart against him. 

Artemis swallowed her juices and climbed up her body, stroking her hair as she languished in immense pleasure. He unbuttoned his pants and slipped between her legs, leaning down to kiss her softly as she came around.

Her eyes fluttered open to look at him, and he shifted, positioning himself at her entrance. “Ready?” he asked softly. 

She swallowed thickly and nodded, biting her lip. He tugged her lip free and kissed her gently, pulling her closer and thrusting into her in one quick, smooth motion. 

Holly cried out, clinging to him. She'd have jerked away if there was anywhere for her to go, but she was pinned under him. “Gods,” she hissed through her teeth. “That…”

“Hurts. I know.” He held her close to him, waiting for her to settle. “Just quit squirming. Give it a minute.” 

She nodded against his neck, breathing shallowly. It hurt, for a moment, but then the pain dimmed and slowly faded. “Okay,” she breathed, still clinging to him. “Okay. You can… move now.” She swallowed thickly.

Artemis chuckled, kissing her hair softly. He eased out of her, then thrust back into her. She threw her head back, gasping and closing her eyes again. He kissed her, deeply, thrusting into her again and again. He didn't stop, pinning her under him and moaning into her mouth. She felt like she was drowning in him, but she couldn't bring herself to do anything to make him stop. She couldn't deny she was enjoying it. 

And so he moved, thrusting into her repeatedly and moaning. He waited until he was close and she was spamming relentlessly around him before reaching between them and rubbing her clit. Holly cried out and gasped, coming around him, and it only took a few more thrusts for him to get there himself and shoot his release deep inside her. 

He collapsed beside her, pulling her in. She panted against his shoulder, still drifting in pleasure, and her eyes fluttered closed. They dozed off together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp. That was interesting. 
> 
> Like I said, very early, but there's reasons for that. It'll make sense eventually. (Hopefully.)
> 
> Next chapter is very long and basically everything backfires. So yeah. It'll be interesting, no?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey peoples! Ready for this chapter? It's pretty packed with revelations and drama. I said everything backfires, and really... yeah, pretty much, everything does. You'll see what I mean.

Hours later, Holly’s eyes fluttered open. 

The first thing that struck her was that she was sweating, which was odd. She didn’t usually sweat in her sleep, but today she was. There seemed to be some heat source wrapped around her, cocooning her in warmth. The last time she’d woke up feeling similarly to this it had been in the hospital - her father had wrapped her in a heated blanket while she was asleep. She wasn’t in the hospital, was she?

No. Her eyes opened slowly, and she blinked a few times, hardly believing her eyes. The room was dark and dimmed, and the warmth cocooning her that she had mistaken for a heating blanket was actually someone else’s body. A certain pale, long limbed, dark haired someone, as she realized when she glanced beside her. 

She gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. She was in bed with Artemis. How the hell had that happened? What was she thinking? She knew she shouldn’t have done that, so why…?

She turned over, intending to disentangle herself from him and be gone before he woke up, but all thoughts of stealth disappeared when she turned and her eyes alighted on the clock on his nightstand. It was already five thirty! Not only had she missed picking the twins up from school, she had missed helping prepare for dinner, and she was supposed to have gone and been back from visiting her mother hours ago. 

Her mother! Holly leapt from the bed, past caring about possibly waking him up. She had to get out of here. Now. No doubt someone had picked up the twins by now, and the rest of the family was probably going to gather for dinner soon, meaning it was probably best that Artemis get up anyway, as he’d be missed if he wasn’t there. But she needed to go now. She didn’t know what the repercussions would be for this, but she would face them tonight, when she got back. She wasn’t going to miss her visitation time - which was almost over by now, as visiting hours in the ICU ended at seven - over something she’d have to face later anyway.

Artemis groaned when she pulled away from him, tossing a few times before settling on his back, his eyes fluttering open. He blinked a few times before seeming to realize what had woken him up. “Holly?” He sat up, watching her dart around the room frantically in search of her clothes. “What are you…”

“I have to go,” Holly told him, her voice trembling slightly. “Now.” 

Artemis frowned, sitting up. “Go? Where? Why?” 

Holly shot him a look somewhere between hurt and exasperated. It hit her suddenly that he honestly knew nothing about her, and he probably had no interest in learning. She had been used, just like she’d always been afraid of. She looked away, blinking hard at the tears suddenly stinging her eyes. “Nowhere that you need to know about,” she told him, bitterly, but quietly. By now she’d managed to gather up her things, and she turned and disappeared into his bathroom without waiting for his response.

Artemis’s frown deepened. He sat up and pulled his pants back on quickly, not bothering with anything else as he made to follow her. He was confused, to say the least. “Holly-” he started, raising his hand to knock on the door, but it opened before he could. Holly stood in the doorway, her face impassive and unreadable, but for her watery eyes giving away how she really felt. She’d put her clothes back on and threw her hair up in a messy bun on the top of her head. She wouldn’t exactly call it a nice or presentable ensemble, but she didn’t have time to hunt down anything nicer. 

She stared at him for a moment, then looked away. “Move.”

“No.” Artemis shook his head. “Not until you tell me where you’re going and why you’re upset.”

“I’m not upset.” Her voice was hoarse and thick, a dead giveaway that she was lying, but she couldn’t be bothered to care. “Now let me go.”

“No,” he repeated. He reached down and fingered a strand of her thick hair, which had again escaped from her bun. “A, because you’re obviously lying, and b, because you didn’t tell me where you’re going.”

Holly jerked back. “If you really must know, sir,” she hissed with such vehemence that he flinched, “I’m going to visit my dying mother, which I was supposed to get to do hours ago, but was rudely intercepted by someone looking to use me and apparently take up a lot more time than I had to give. Now, I need to go before I have no time to visit with her at all.” Then she moved forward again, shoving him off of her and shouldering past him. It was a weak blow, but he actually did budge from the doorway, mostly out of surprise. He stumbled back a step and stared after her as she slammed the door behind her, shocked. 

By the time he finally recovered enough to go after her, she was long gone. She didn’t stop running until she reached the street, hailing a taxi and disappearing into it before he ever even made it to the door. 

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The visit with her mother ended up being short and not-so-sweet. Coral was not conscious at all throughout the time that Holly was there, although the amount of pain she was in was evident. In the end, it was too emotionally taxing to just sit and watch her suffer, so it ended up being a short paperwork meeting with the people in charge before she left again. 

She curled up in the back of the taxi, closing her eyes and coaching herself to stay calm. This had been a long, bad day, in more ways than she cared to count, and she could feel herself teetering on the verge of another emotional breakdown. There wasn’t much she could do to stop it - she’d been pushing it all down for too long - but she was determined not to crack until she made it back to the Manor and was safely curled up in her room. She’d never make it that far if she went to pieces now. 

The taxi stopped at the front gates, and Holly stepped out of the car. She came to a sudden stop when she realized there was another car sitting there, waiting for her just inside the gates. She stood frozen for a moment, wondering who it was and whether she should run, before the driver’s door opened and Butler stepped out. 

He said nothing, giving her a knowing look and walking around to open the door for her silently. Grateful, Holly climbed in, and he closed her door.

The manservant dropped into the driver’s seat beside her a moment later. For a long moment, it was silent. Then he turned to her, his dark eyes finding hers in the dark. “It didn’t go so well, I take it?” he asked, his gruff voice uncharacteristically gentle. 

Holly looked down, glad it was dark enough he couldn’t see the wetness on her cheeks. “Which part?” she asked bitterly. 

He paused, seeming to think about it for a minute. “Well, I don’t suppose visiting your mother under those conditions ever goes well,” he said, after a moment. “But I was referring to what happened with Artemis.”

She looked at him, alarmed. “Did he tell you something?”

“No. But it certainly didn’t take his genius to figure it out. You never reported back to me, you never came down to help with dinner, the boys had to ride the bus home, and I may have seen you getting into a taxi several hours later than you were supposed to.” Butler watched her carefully as she flinched and looked away. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?” She shook her head, mutely. “Or force you?” he prodded. She just shook her head again. “Alright.” He sighed but relented then, shifting the car into gear and driving them back into the Manor’s garage. 

He shut off the car and climbed out, and she followed, letting him lead her back inside silently. He looked down at her and suppressed another sigh. She looked ready to go to pieces any second. Not wanting to make it any worse, he lead her back to her room silently and left her alone. 

Holly went into her room and fell onto bed, staring blankly at the wall for a moment. She reached down and pulled out a picture from her draw of pictures. It was her best, favorite picture. It was just of her and her mother and father, standing outside their house and smiling into the camera. She was a toddler, by the looks of it, sitting on her father’s shoulders with her hands tangled in his dark hair. It was one of the few that all three of them were in at the same time and that they had gotten a clear shot of their faces. She wasn’t sure who had taken the picture, but whoever it was, she was eternally grateful. 

She studied the picture for a moment with wet eyes, then hugged it to her chest as the sobs she’d been holding back finally tore loose. 

She couldn’t say, after, how long she laid there and went to pieces. Eventually, though, she exhausted herself enough that her sobs teetered off and her tears dried, and she fell into unrestful sleep for a short while.

It couldn’t last for long, though. Within an hour or so of her being back, Artemis found out and went down to her room almost immediately. 

A knock at her door roused her from her sleep. Holly blinked and groaned, her voice low and croaky as she whimpered, “Go away.” She didn't know who it was, but she knew it was late enough that she had nothing left to do and she knew she didn't want to talk to them. 

Artemis, who was of course the one who knocked, simply sighed and pushed open the door. He closed the door quietly behind him, going over and perching on the edge of her bed. “Holly,” he said quietly. She rolled over, hugging her picture and not acknowledging him. He reached out and put his hand on her side. “I-”

The instant he touched her she leapt to her feet, moving away from him. The picture fluttered to the floor between them. “Don't touch me,” she snapped quickly, crossing her arms over her chest. “Haven't you used me enough today? Don't I get a break?” Her voice trembled.

Artemis stood up slowly, frowning. “Used you?” He stepped towards her. “Using you was not my intention, Holly. Surely you must know that. I told you earlier, I want you. If I just wanted a warm body to sleep with I could buy one.” He paused, crossing the rest of the way to her and putting his hands on her elbows. “I was bluffing earlier, Holly. I should have stopped you, I know, but you moved so fast and I just-”

“Stop. Just stop.” She shook her head, looking away. “I'm not going to try to say you raped me, so don't feel obligated to justify yourself.” 

“It's not that!” Artemis took her chin, bringing her face back towards him. “Holly, I wanted to stop you. I was just trying to bluff you, but I wouldn't have made you do that. But it's rather difficult to make you stop when you're…” he stopped, hissing through his teeth. Finishing that statement seemed like it would just be counterproductive, and not least of all because of the way he reacted to the reminder. 

Holly pulled away. “Forget it. Just leave me alone, okay? I...have enough on my plate.” 

“So I've heard.” He frowned, following her. In effort to keep from touching her in a way that would upset her more and yet still be close to her, he fingered her hair gently. “Why didn't you tell me about your mother?” 

“We never had a real conversation, Artemis,” Holly snapped, pulling away again. “When was I supposed to drop it in? Besides, this all should have been in your family’s background check on me.”

“I was not privy to the information in the background check,” Artemis told her, watching her retreat back to the bed. He sighed, turning and crossing his arms. “I never imagined…” he shook his head, looking down and suddenly noticing the picture she'd dropped. He bent and picked it up, his voice faltering as he looked at it. He stared at it for a moment, frozen, his eyes widening a fraction. “Where did you get this picture?” he demanded suddenly. 

She stood up and snatched it back. “It's mine. Of my family. Me, Mom, and Dad - before everything fell apart.” 

“Everything-” he stopped short, whirling around and looking at her like he was seeing her for the first time. “Name. What's your last name?” 

Holly frowned, looking up from her picture to him. “Short. This was all in my background check, Artemis.” She sounded tired and exasperated. 

He took a step back at the name, his expression flickering rapidly between several different emotions. He looked her over again, appearing thunderstruck as recognition dawned. “You favor your mother, but… gods, your eyes. I should have seen it…” 

“My...what?” Holly frowned at him, lost and suddenly a little nervous. 

“You have your father’s eyes.” He looked away, scoffing softly. “You're Christopher Short’s daughter. Of course. Leave it to me to get mixed up with the cop’s daughter.”

“Mixed up-” Holly stopped too. “You… what do you know about my dad? And what are you saying?” 

Artemis looked at her, crossing his arms. He still appeared lost, and he looked even more confused at her apparent lack of understanding. “You don't know who we are?”

The same question had been posed earlier by Butler. Holly froze at hearing it again. “Should I?”

“Yes!” He stared at her, his eyes wide and almost disbelieving. “How do you not?”

Holly flushed, feeling stupid at his utter disbelief and at her own ignorance, even though she still had no idea what she was ignorant about yet. “What are you talking about?”

Artemis licked his lips, looking away, Should he tell her? What would she say? “Holly…” he started, slowly, uncertain of himself for once. “Your father spent years hunting my family. How-”

“Hunting?” Holly interrupted. “My father wasn’t… I mean, he was a cop. Why would he…” She faltered, looking at him again. Her eyes widened slightly. Her mind returned to the conversation with Butler in the kitchen, and suddenly realization dawned. It all made sense, in a terrible way. “You’re criminals,” she whispered, looking at him with wide eyes.

Artemis sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Yes, but- no, where are you going?” he demanded. She hadn’t even waited for him to finish before starting to rush around the room, shoving her things back into her duffel bag. He walked over and grabbed her arm. “Holly, stop.”

She jerked away again. “You stop! How long were you going to lie to me? I can’t believe no one told me anything!” 

“Holly, if I’d have known, I would have,” he told her, his voice low and soothing. “But you have to realize - living and working for one of the most well-known criminal families in Ireland, and one that your own father spent years chasing at that…” He shook his head. “How would we know you didn’t know?”

“Even if you didn’t, they obviously did! And Butler did! He almost told me, but then he didn’t, and I was too stupid to push…” She wiped her eyes, stuffing the rest of the pictures from her drawer into her bag and throwing it over her shoulder. “Forget it. I’m leaving.”

“Holly, you can’t leave.” Artemis frowned, watching her stuff her feet into her shoes and try to slide past him. He caught her arm again. “If you would just listen to me-”

“I’m through listening to you, thanks,” Holly snapped, pulling away and storming out of the room. “Apparently, all you people have ever told me was whatever suited you, regardless of the truth and mindless of my own situation.”

“Holly-” He pulled the door closed behind them and followed her out, hot on her heels as she raced down the stairs. “Stop.” 

Holly swung around, and he stopped in front of her. “I don’t have to,” she hissed at him. “You’re not my boss… well, not anymore, anyway.”

She spun back around, swiping at her eyes furiously and about to make for the door when Fowl Senior stepped out of the kitchen and into her path. He’d just arrived back home from his business meeting, and he’d showered and dressed for bed before going down to the kitchen to get something to eat before settling in for the night when he heard the commotion. He stepped out of the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. “What is the issue?” he demanded, imposing as ever, even half-asleep and only dressed in blue silk pj pants and a white shirt. 

Holly lurched to a stop when he stepped in front of her, her eyes widening. Now that she knew who he was, who they all were, she could barely look at him. “I… I'm sorry, sir, I-”

“She's trying to leave,” Artemis Junior injected, his tone steelly. This was all happening much too fast for his liking, especially with the turn it was taking. 

His father looked at her with surprise. “Really? You haven't even been here a week. What could possibly be wrong?” 

Holly gulped, looking up at him. She was furious and hurt, but when faced with him, all her energy seemed to drain away, taking her fuel to fight with it. 

He frowned at her when she didn't answer immediately. Then he noticed the picture in her hand. He reached for it, inhaling sharply when he turned it and saw who was in the photo. He was silent as he contemplated it.

Holly looked up at him. His reaction was enough to tell her he definitely knew him, and it didn't take a genius to guess how with her new knowledge. “Did you know?” she asked quietly, unable to force her voice to above a whisper.

Fowl Senior’s eyes flickered to her for a moment, then returned to the picture, studying it. He was silent for a long moment. “About you being his daughter, or what happened to him, or…?”

“Both,” Holly whispered. She swallowed thickly.

The crime lord sighed. “Both,” he repeated, not mockingly, but firmly. “Why do you think I chose you, Holly? I knew who you were and what you needed. I also knew that you had no idea who you were dealing with, or else you'd have never applied.” He shrugged, offering her back the picture. “This is a good photo. Keep it.”

Holly took it back, gingerly, looking down at it. She wiped her eyes furiously. “My mother…”

“I know all about your mother,” Fowl Senior promised softly. “I know she's struggling. Radiation, correct?” Holly flinched and nodded silently. He sighed, taking a step toward her and pretending not to notice the way she cringed back. “Holly, your parents were good people. If I'd known what was going to happen to your father, I'd have stopped it. And if I could do anything for your mother, I would.” His blue eyes, dark and serious, searched her face, trying to discern any hint of emotion or what she was thinking. She stood frozen, staring blankly at the wall beside him. “Holly,” he repeated, and this time it got through, and her eyes flickered to his. “I'm sorry you had to find out this way. But you can't leave.”

Holly stepped back instinctively. “What? Why?” she demanded, her eyes wide with alarm. 

Fowl Senior glanced at his son. Artemis stepped up behind her automatically, closing the distance and taking one elbow as his father approached, taking the other. The younger Fowl had stood, forgotten, for most of the conversation, listening off to the side. Admittedly even he was surprised by this turn of events, but he knew better than to ask questions in front of Holly. 

“Well, here's the thing, Holly,” Fowl Senior began gently. “You know a lot now. Too much. I know it doesn't seem like you do to you, and it may seem little or insignificant, but you do. And while I’d like to trust you, I have no real reason to yet, and unfortunately my family and business must come first. So, you cannot leave.” He steered her back towards her room with Artemis’s help, although he didn't look at his son very often. 

“But-” Holly started, but he stopped her.

“No buts. If you're good, and you stay here, do what you were hired to do, and don't try anything silly, nothing will change. You're perfectly free to make phone calls and move about, although you should know you will be monitored. And you can still leave and visit your mother, just not unattended. I don't want to have to lock you up, Holly, so please. Don't be difficult.” He stopped by her door. 

“Don’t be-” Holly stopped, gaping at him and pulling away. “You’re- you’re taking me prisoner? What is wrong with you people? I just… I just want to go home!” She stopped, staring at him with wide eyes, her breath starting to hitch. She felt another panic attack coming on, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. 

Fowl Senior sighed, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t think of it like that. I don’t want it to be like that. But I have to protect my family, Holly. You must understand that.” He stopped for a moment, watching her try to regulate her breathing. He started speaking again, urgently, trying to calm her down. He kept repeating her name and maintained eye contact, trying to simultaneously soothe her and still maintain his stern demeanor without scaring her further. “Even if I let you go, Holly, where would you go? You came to us because you were struggling. I know you sold everything you had. There is no where for you to go, and you have nothing to even trade or sell to get a place anymore.”

His words hit her like a slap in the face, but they were all true. Holly stared at him, her eyes wide and wet. All the fight seemed to drain out of her at once. Her shoulders slumped, and she looked down. Even the oncoming panic attack she’d felt dissipated. 

Fowl Senior watched her deflate with grim satisfaction and a hint of sadness. “Just stay here, Holly. Let me take care of you and your mother. When she’s gone, if you’ve done well and you still want to leave, I’ll help you get set up somewhere else. I promise.” The girl didn’t react to him speaking at all. She just looked at the ground between them, waiting for him to finish. He sighed heavily, opening her door and steering her inside. She went in without a word.

Artemis still stood off to the side, slightly stunned by everything he’d heard. He felt like even more of an ass now, but there wasn’t really much he could do about it. His father turned and met his eyes for a moment before turning away, shaking his head. “Just… keep an eye on her tonight,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes and clapping his son on the shoulder before stalking off. 

Artemis nodded once, numbly, staring at the closed door. He knew he should go in and talk to her, but he needed time to digest this himself, and he doubted she'd tried to leave again tonight. He took a deep breath and went back up to his room, leaving her alone for the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Artemis was up bright and early the next morning at her door. He didn’t want to wake her up, and so he didn’t bother to knock before going into her room.

The girl was still asleep on her bed. She stirred at the sound of the door opening, but didn’t wake. She was obviously already not resting peacefully, and he sighed at the sight of her small form tossing and turning around on the bed.

In a way, this was his fault. If he’d have realized sooner… well, most of the events of yesterday wouldn’t have had the chance to happen. Perhaps some of them would have, eventually, but not nearly as distrastically. But it was too late to think that way now. Now, Holly knew the truth about them, he knew the truth about her, and she was caught, here, stranded somewhere in the middle of this conflict between his family and the police that had been going on longer than either of them had been alive. 

He knew she wasn’t going to react well when she woke up - both to him, and in general. At this point, he could hardly blame her. She was caged, trapped here, and not just by his father, but as a result of her own actions. She really had nowhere to go, even if Fowl Senior wasn’t making her stay. 

He found himself conflicted on his father’s decision. First of all, because it meant that he was now stuck playing built-in babysitter to her, which was guaranteed to be unpleasant in one way or another. Secondly, he didn’t really see Holly as a threat to the family. Somehow he just doubted that she was going to the police. If she had really left last night, perhaps she’d have ended up staying with one of them, but he didn’t think she would really turn them in. Besides, it wasn’t as if the cops didn’t know of their history. They just had yet to be able catch them red-handed or get enough proof to arrest any of them - that was the whole point in her father investigating them. 

Keeping her here against her will just… didn’t feel right. But on the other hand, if what he’d said was true, where was there really for her to go? If she thought being coerced to sleep with him was bad - he winced at the thought - she’d never make it by on the streets. 

Artemis sighed, lowering himself to perch on the edge of the bed next to her and stroking her hair. She flinched away from his touch for a moment, even in her sleep, but then settled, letting the gentle touch soothe her. He slid down next to her slowly, pulling her in, and she didn’t resist, cuddling into his side and automatically seeking what warmth and comfort he had to offer. It wasn’t much, really, but it was all he had for her at the moment. 

After a few more minutes, she started to stir against him. Artemis looked down at her, watching her cautiously. 

Her eyes fluttered open, slowly. She blinked a few times, blearily, looking around, then suddenly sat up, pulling away from him. “How did you get in here? Get away from me!” she croaked. 

Artemis sighed, not chasing her to the other side of the bed, just sitting up slowly. “Holly…”

“No! Don't talk to me. Get out.” She curled up in a ball, hugging her knees. 

Artemis frowned. “I can't do that, Holly. You know that.” 

She hugged her knees to her chest, hiding her face in them and not answering for a long moment. “This is your fault,” she mumbled eventually, her voice muffled. 

Artemis looked away. Honestly, he was inclined to agree, but instead he said, “Only partially. I'm not the only one at fault here.” 

“It's not my fault,” Holly muttered petulantly. He didn’t answer again, mostly because, again, he was inclined to agree. “This is your fault, and Butler’s, and your father’s, and my father’s. Not mine.” She took a shuddering breath. “I just was trying to do what I had to to take care of my mother and I, and now… now I can’t even do that.”

“That’s not true,” Artemis told her. “No one said that. You’re still perfectly capable of taking care of your mother, and visiting her, and everything else you’ve had the privilege of doing since you’ve been here. You’ll just be monitored, as my father said.”

“Monitored!” Holly scoffed, lifting her head and wiping her eyes. “Like I don’t know what that means. Stop trying to sugarcoat my sentencing, Artemis. I’m still a cop’s daughter, regardless of what information was kept from me; I’m not stupid. I know I’m a prisoner. I know that I’m lucky that the worst thing I’m getting is forced to stay here and be watched by you - at least so far.” 

“That’s all you’ll get,” Artemis told her. “Unless you do something stupid.”

“I’m not going to do something stupid,” Holly muttered bitterly, lowering her forehead to her knees again. “What’s the point? So you guys can lock me up? So I can’t work to be able to afford to take care of my mother, and she can sit and suffer for whatever time she has left? No thanks. Even if I did want to do something stupid, I wouldn’t. She deserves better than that.” 

Artemis watched her pitifully despite himself. He’d been an ass to her so far, for certain, and perhaps that was why she rightfully felt so hostilely towards him, but… “I wouldn’t let your mother suffer, Holly,” he said quietly. He looked down, unable to look at her as he spoke again. “And I don’t think you deserve this either, alright? You’re right. It’s not your fault, and frankly, I don’t know where you thought you were going to go last night, but the last place I imagined it would be is the police. I think my father knows that was the farthest thing from your mind as well, but he has to be cautious. You have to realize that.”

“What would I have told them anyway, Artemis?” Holly demanded, lifting her head and looking at him with bleary eyes. “If they could arrest any of you, they’d have done it ages ago. I couldn’t even give them floor plans of the Manor; I’m still hopelessly lost in here and have to use the map I drew most of the time. So what would it matter?”

“By that logic, where would you have went, anyway, Holly?” He sat up and crossed his arms. “It’s exactly like my father said. You had nowhere to go. And frankly, your family connections are cops and scientists. It’s not that big of a leap.”

“What? You think I was going to stay with my father’s old boss?” Holly frowned at him. The thought hadn’t even occurred to her before. 

Artemis shrugged. “I didn’t think of it, but apparently he did. And it’s a logical conclusion. Where else would you go?”

“To the hospital!” Holly snapped, exasperated. “I was going to stay with my mother. Just like I was before I took this stupid job!”

Artemis frowned back at her, looking at her in silent contemplation for a long moment. “Would that make you feel better?”

“What?” She blinked at him, not comprehending.

“To go see her. Is that what you need to calm down and be able to have an actual conversation about this with me?”

Holly scowled at him. “I-”

“Get dressed,” he interrupted, standing up. “I’ll wait outside the door, but if you don’t come out in fifteen minutes, then I’m coming in.” And he stalked out the door before she could answer.


End file.
